Feigned Innocence
by graywords-girl
Summary: DISCONTINUED Three years after setting Amelia's spirit free, Lina begins to have strange nightmares involving a man with Amythest eyes. But how does this relate to the sudden attacks of Mazoku? Sequel to QFK
1. Chapter I

Chapter I

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Hello everyone! And welcome! For those of you who are returning fans, I hope you all enjoy this newest chapter in the _Eternal Saga_ (Which means, yes, there are going to be more than two of these stories. I just recently came up with the Eternal name). And for those you who are new to the stories, I hope you'll become returning fans.

Now then, because Halloween is so close, this is going to have a slightly… spooky twist to it. Not too much, though.

Anyway, please enjoy!

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"Help!" the shrill scream echoed through out the forest. Trees surrounded the running figure. Her white night gown torn at the edges as she ran, screaming, tears running down her cheeks. Her feet were stained with mud, and her crimson hair tangled as it caught in branches and twigs.

It only took a second for her foot to catch in the root of a dieing tree and send her falling to the ground. She whimpered slightly as her body hit the ground hard. Wincing at the pain in her fast swelling ankle, she stood and continued running. Sparing a glance over her shoulder, she screamed.

In seconds a firm hand was over her throat, and her back was against a tree. She could feel the bark of the tree digging into her back as she struggled with the gloved hand. But the more she struggled, the tighter the grip became. Her throat became dry and she felt her head begin to spin. Taking in as deep a breath as she could manage, she let out one last terrified shriek before darkness clouded her vision. Amethyst eyes twinkled in her fading memory.

* * *

Lina sat up fighting off a scream. Choking back the noise, a habit she had become very good at with in the past three years, she tightened the fist she had made that was gripping the blankets. Blinking her ruby eyes, she shuddered as memory of the nightmare returned. Sighing, she glanced over at the clock near by. It was only one AM. She shivered again. Looking over to her right, she gave a half-hearted smile.

The figure beside her was still sleeping peacefully. Carefully, she slipped out of the bed and put on a long nightgown. Leaving her bedroom, she made her way quietly down the carpeted hallway towards the small kitchen. Pushing open the carved wooden door, she peered in.

"Syl?" she questioned quietly as she noticed the small figure carefully cradling her cup of tea. The dark haired girl in question looked up and blinked her emerald eyes.

"Lina. What are you doing up?"

Lina shrugged and took a seat across from Sylphiel as her friend grabbed another cup and lifted up the teakettle. "Another nightmare. Chamomile?"

Sylphiel nodded and poured a cup. As she handed it to her friend, she smiled slightly, though it was obviously a stiff and uncomfortable motion. "You really should tell him, you know. He worries about you."

"Does he now?" Lina questioned, taking a sip of her tea, eyeing her friend. Sylphiel nodded. "So, why are _you_ up?"

Sylphiel blushed. "Thinking,"

Lina finished the thought allowed, "About Gary and Pricilla?"

Sylphiel sighed, "Yes. I knew it was going to be hard to care for them, but I didn't think it could be this difficult…"

Lina chuckled, taking another sip of her tea. "What did you expect? They _are_ Gourry's niece and nephew. Honestly, I didn't even know he _had_ a brother, let alone a niece or nephew!"

Sylphiel shook her head and smiled, running a hand through her hair. "Yes. I suppose you're right. But…" she trailed off a shadow crept over Lina's form. Lina froze, and her muscles tightened. Slowly, she turned around, and came to face a pair of stunning blue eyes.

Sylphiel coughed. "I think I'm going to go check on the children…" and then she left. Lina glanced down, a small ting of red on her cheeks.

The figure before her chuckled and took a seat beside her. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Lina shrugged. "You're going to be busy tomorrow. You need a little rest"

"Lina-"

She lightly pressed a slim finger to his lips. "Please, Zel, not now, okay?"

Zelgadis sighed and took her hand. "I'm just worried. I think I have a right to be."

Lina laughed and stood up, pulling him with her. "Yeah, yeah. For now, though, lets just go to bed, okay?" She gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned forward, teasing his lips with her own.

He smiled and they both made their way back to their room.

* * *

Okies! First chapter down! Yes, it's short, but this is only the beginning. Now then, so that there is no confusion, I'm going to answer just a few questions.

**Does this take place immediately after _Quest for Kyuusai_?**

No. This actually takes place around three years later. This gives all the readers space to think (And/or fantasize). I _may_ post a branch off of this series explaining what happened in that time, but it will probably just be a big excuse for a ton of L/Z fluff. You'll see that for every story in this Saga, there will be a good time leap to give you room to breath!

**Are Lina and Zel an "item"?**

Yes. They are lovers in this story. However, this will not focus on their relationship as much as _Quest for Kyuusai_ did. As I stated above, I may write a branch off focusing on their relationship, but not now. However, there will be some romantic scenes between them.

**After what happened in Kyuusai, does Lina still practice magic?**

Yes. However, as it will become more noticeable, she does not use as much black magic as she did.

**Is Zel still the king of Seilloon?**

To start off, Zel was never a king; he was a prince. And yes, he is still prince of Seilloon. More will be explained in the next few chapters.

**Are any other characters other than Lina, Zel, and Sylphiel going to make an appearance?**

Yes. You will see a great deal of Xellos, Filia, and even Luna (If you're good).

**Who are these new characters?**

The two newest characters are Gary and Pricilla, whom are Gourry nephew and niece. You'll get to know them soon enough.

If you guys have any other questions, let me know! **Please Review!**

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	2. Chapter II

Chapter II

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I do apologize for the lack of updates. As you all know, I can never get a spare minute to write. I'm trying, though. I'm trying. Anyway, some more L/Z in this chapter, and a bit more of a substantial plot.

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Though it was still very late, Lina lay awake, finding no peace from sleep. Zelgadis lay behind her, his arm gently draped across her waist. She could hear his breath on the back of her neck; so calm and peaceful, she envied him. She never slept any more. She couldn't find the courage to. If she had to face that nightmare one more time…

With a sigh, she eased herself out from Zel's grasp and grabbed a robe. If she was going to be up, she might as well find something to do.

Deciding to go for a walk, she, after slipping on a pair of sweat pants and a tank top with her silky white rode tied around her waist, headed out of the small home she and Zel were staying in. Sylphiel had, eventually, moved out of the palace. She had built, with the help of Zel and some other people from the palace, a quaint home a bit far off from Seilloon.

The home was beautiful, and reminded Lina a bit of the home _she_ had imagined owning as a child, along with a family and maybe a dog. She never would have guessed she would be living in a palace. It was small, just large enough for Sylphiel, her new niece and nephew, and the occasional visitor. It had a lovely garden beside it filled with numerous trees and flowers. Sylphiel had invited she and Zelgadis to come by any time, and they made it a habit to visit at least once every Solstice, and they always stayed for Christmas.

Lina shivered slightly, but smiled. She loved Christmas. And it was almost here. About a week of waiting left. And then, they would be drenched in snow, as it always snowed late in the season, and Zel would shovel it as Lina and Sylphiel would set up the tree and decorate it on Christmas Eve. And then they would all sit around the fire and talk and laugh about their past experiences.

But this year there would Gary and Pricilla. Pricilla was probably the smartest out of the two of them. She at least had a bit of common sense. She had blond hair that incredibly long, from her father's side, but her eyes were an odd green. Gary looked, and acted, the most like Gourry. His eyes were very similar to his uncle's.

As she walked, Line kept her senses open. She never liked to be alone at night or in the dark. Not after what happened three years ago.

She stopped, and listened. There! There was rustling in a nearby bush! Turning slowly, Lina kept her hands behind her back, posed for an attack if necessary. Slowly, she began to approach the bush. She easily slid her feet along the ground, silently, step by step. As she neared the bush, she craned her neck forward to try and catch a glimpse over the bush.

No luck.

Just as she got within arms length of the bush, something hopped out. Lina screeched and, without thinking, sent off a random spell, and then commenced in covering her eyes with her hands.

Slowly, she peeked out from her fingers. Sitting in front of her was a small dog. Lina let out a sigh of relief. And then sweat dropped at the sight of the bush that was now nothing more but cinders. Sylphiel wasn't going to like that…

Sighing, Lina knelt down and stroked the dog's head. "I'm a little jumpy, I suppose," she murmured, as though that explained her flaming the tree.

The dog only looked up at her and cocked its head. But something was reflecting off of the moonlight… something in its mouth…

Curious, Lina pried the object away and looked it over. It seemed to be some sort of amulet… There was a gem of some sort crafted into a stone base. It was so elaborate… some much detail… and it _felt_ old. As Lina's fingers ran across the edges of the stone base, she gasped slightly.

Without warning, she jumped up and ran back to the house.

---

"Lina, remind me again why we're up at four in the morning?" the slightly agitated chimera asked, yawning slightly. Sylphiel stood beside him, looking like the living dead.

Lina waved him off as she continued to flip through the pages of the book in her hand. Scanning the text, she finally came to what she was looking for, and let out a triumphant "A-ha!"

Sylphiel stiffened a yawn, "Lina… what's so important that it couldn't have waited until morning?" she whined.

"And what's with the 'A-ha!'?" Zelgadis added.

Lina turned to them and showed them the amulet. "I found this a little while ago in your garden, Syl."

Sylphiel nodded. "And it's very lovely."

Lina sighed and shoved the amulet into her hands. "Look at the inscriptive on the stone around it!"

"It just looks like a bunch of swirls and lines…" Sylphiel observed, turning the amulet, as she looked it over, now a bit more awake.

"That's because the language is very old…but I've seen it before…"

"So, would you mind enlightening us?" Zelgadis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah, sure." Lina cleared her throat, and then lifted up the amulet and began to read. "' Aawit ko igivng sla edatn ia apin ia agp kle ilef koy(1)'"

Both Sylphiel and Zelgadis blinked, and then exclaimed, "What?!"

Lina laughed embarrassedly. "Oh, sorry. It means, 'Death and pain await the gap of the giving of life.' It could mean a number of things, but I think it's a prophecy."

"So…?" Sylphiel prompted.

Lina then thrust the book she had been going through into Sylphiel's face. "Look at this picture. It's of Xellas."

"Isn't she one of the demon lords?" Zelgadis questioned, looking over the picture.

"Yeah. Look at her neck! It's the same amulet!"

"So… this belonged to Xellas?" Sylphiel asked, looking over the amulet once more.

Lina nodded. "That amulet had some sort of importance. I just can't remember what."

"So, what are we going to do about it?" Zelgadis asked.

Lina took the book back and placed it on the shelf. "My sister has a book on the five demons lords. It's mostly legends and folklore, but there was a story about this amulet in there, I know it. I think we're going to have to go to Zelphiria…"

Sylphiel looked near the point of tears. "But… but Christmas! It's in a week! Will you be back by then?"

Lina smiled. "Of course! Zelphiria isn't that far from here. It'll take a day at most to reach there, if we fly."

Lina sighed. Facing her sister again wouldn't be easy… but she needed to figure out what was going on with that amulet!

---

Okay! That it's it for two! I know it's short, but I'm really busy!

Anyway…

(1)- This language is Nexus, which is a language that I invented, SO DON'T STEAL IT! Not that you could. It's pretty hard to figure out!

**Chalicity**- Oh goody! Someone noticed! Yep! I _did_ say that Xellos was dead in the QFK. That'll play a part in later chapters. Anyway, thanks for your review!

**Mysticalflame**- Gary and Pricilla actually wont play an important part in this story. They will, however, make some rather important appearances in the next story. Thanks for your Review!

**Samanda**- Hiya Sammy! Sorry this took so long!


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III

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_A/N: Hoe! Sorry for how long this took! I really am! It'll be good, though!_

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Lina had been right. Traveling to Zelphiria didn't take long at. Within a few hours Seilloon was far behind them. Zel knew Lina had a good idea of where she was going, but he didn't like the feeling of walking into unfamiliar territory with no idea of what was ahead. He knew a few facts about Zelphiria, namely that it was top Wine producer in history, and that a few years earlier it had seemingly disappeared from every map.

Lina hadn't spoken since they had left. She was obviously wrapped up in her thoughts, so much so that several times she lost concentration and nearly fell out of the sky. Zelgadis knew Lina had a huge fear of her sister, but could she really be _that_ bad?

He once again studied Lina's face, gauging her emotions. She didn't look afraid, or even slightly scared. She seemed… focused. _She's probably trying to figure out the message on the amulet…_ he thought with a small frown. There was something else on her mind, but he couldn't figure it out.

* * *

After a several more hours, Lina finally seemed to snap back to reality. Stopping in her flight, she took a look around. The sun was just beginning to fade. Which meant that they were close to the Entrance…

Scanning the ground, she narrowed her eyes and squinted in the fading light. Green grass covered most of the ground, with a few trees and bushes here and there. Looking towards the north, she spotted a ring of mountains, and at the base of one, was the entrance to a cave.

"Hey, Zel," she called, turning to look at the chimera.

"Hmm?" he responded, trying to find what she had spotted that had caught her attention.

"We have to land now." Without waiting for a response, she began to move towards the ground. Landing gracefully on her feet, she wiggled her arms a bit. They felt like pin and needles had overtaken them.

Zelgadis landed next to her, giving her a curious look. "Why did we land?"

Lina nodded towards the cave she had spotted. "That's the Entrance to Zelphiria."

He gave her an odd look, but by the time he had sent it off, she had already begun to walk towards it. Lina's composure, Zelgadis noted, was oddly calm. It wasn't the usual sunny, happy-go-lucky aura he was used to. It was so what like his own. It disturbed him, mildly.

As they drew closer to the caves, Lina began to slow down ever so slightly. Whether it was out of fear, or general exhaustion, neither of the pair could tell.

The caves themselves were dark, and almost immediately after entering both had cast Lightning.

Lina smirked, and her own light dissipated. "The Entrance it just a little deeper into the cave."

Zelgadis shrugged, and the two began to walk. As they got deeper inside, the Stalagmites and Stalactites grew larger and large, until they seemed to become a single structure, almost like a column, holding up the structure. There were pictures and an odd dialect Zelgadis couldn't understand scribbled on them.

"Why, exactly, is the entrance to Zelphiria inside a cave?"

Lina turned to look over her shoulder at him, and as she did so, his Light cast dark shadows onto her face. It was then that he saw Lina's eyes. She looked exhausted. Of course, she showed no sign of fatigue, but he could see it in her ruby orbs.

"Lina…"

She cut him off, "It was built here, to keep things like bandits out. Only someone who's from Zelphiria knows how to get to it. Every summer, a group of merchants leave the town to go sell and trade with other towns. They stay out for two weeks, and then come back."

Lina continued walking, guided by the light. They should be reaching the entrance any time now…

"GAHHHHH!!!!" Lina jumped in surprise and turned around. Whet she saw caused her to burst into laughter.

Zelgadis was hanging upside-down, one of his legs caught in a rope. It was one of the oldest traps that had been set up, and he had still fallen for it! He only glared at her as she toppled over, hugging her stomach. As he detached himself from the annoyance, and then forgot one of the most important laws in the universe:

Chimera Gravity Upside down Painfully sore head, and a nice little crack in the cave's floor.

As he stood up, still clutching his head, Lina finally over came her laughter and spoke, "I forgot to mention; this place is filled with traps!"

"Thanks for the heads up…" he murmured, brushing off the dust from his clothes.

Lina shrugged, and they continued to walk.

* * *

It took another hour or so to get far enough into the caves that Zelgadis was beginning to think Lina may have just been a few sparks short of a fire. He was close to telling her they should go back, when she stopped abruptly. Zelgadis peered over his shoulder and saw they had a reached a dead end.

"Alright, Lina, let's head-"

"Help me move this stone!" Once again, she cut him off. Zelgadis shrugged, and began to push it. Both pushed, and finally, it rolled off to the side, revealing another cave. This one, however, had light at the end of it!

* * *

_A/N: Yes, yes, short, I know. I promise, longer chapters will come! However, this was as far as I wanted to take this chapter, to keep the suspense! _**Please Review**.

**Sammy**- Gahh! My only reviewer! I love you! (Huggles)


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter IV

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_Author's notes: Okay, okay! It's late, I know! Please, don't hurt me! From now on, I'm going to try and begin working on a sort-of schedule. Sort-of referring to the fact that it will be rough, probably un-understandable (not sure if that's a word or not, but oh well!) to anyone but me, and more-than-likely, I wont be able to keep up with it._

_Either way, I promise, chapters will come faster! _

_BTW, I am currently working on a new story. Check the bottom Author's notes for more info._

_Now, onto the story!_

* * *

To say that Zelgadis was surprised by what lay before him was the understatement of the century. As he stared into the "cave", which now resembled a countryside sitting atop a large, rolling hill, he could have sworn that he just switched dimensions. He was supposed to be in the middle of a dark, wet cave! Not in the middle of a bright, sunny pasture filled with horses grazing.

Lina, however, simply turned to him and chuckled, "Close your mouth, Zel. You're letting flies in."

Zel could only stutter incoherently as his already stressed brain attempted to process this new information. If he hadn't of been under so much pressure (not to mention sleep-deprived) he more than likely would have come up with something rational and understandable. But, under the current circumstances, he came up blank.

Finally, he remembered that he had someone with him that _did_ know what was going on, and so, he turned to said person and raised an eyebrow in a confused manner.

Lina, almost reading his mind, smiled. Glancing at the sight before her, she felt almost… refreshed.

Before her sat the place she had grown up in. She had seen it many times, and yet, this time, it was different. It was still the same place, the same old hill, same old lake, and same old forest at the edge of the town. Even the town looked like it hadn't changed. Every building stood in a familiar spot, and she found herself remembering so many things.

The smell was still the same: a distinctive mixture of a variety of flowers, pinewood, fresh grass, and animals. She welcomed it. The sounds, too, were the same. The market in the background, people chattering and laughing, the horses patting their hoofs against the dirt ground, the chickens clucking, everything was the same.

Closing her eyes, her smile grew. A soft, gentle breeze blew across the pasture, and the grass fluttered against it.

Lina had always imagined what it would be like to return home. She had imagined a mixture of feelings, ranging from fear to sadness. She had never thought it would feel like this. She felt… right. She felt like she was home.

For the first time, Lina felt like she was where she belonged. She felt like she was in the right place, at the right time. In a way, it scared her. But it was welcomed fear. She realized she had missed the rural feel of home.

Realizing Zelgadis was still awaiting his answer she turned to him. To anyone not from the area, seeing a sun in the middle of a cave was probably pretty unsettling.

"Think of it like the dimensional pocket in my cape, and then make it bigger." She explained with ease.

Zelgadis took a moment to comprehend this new information before nodding in understanding. Something immediately caught Lina's eye, and before he could say anything, she had already skipped off to admire it. Rolling his eyes at how easily she was pleased at certain times, he turned and looked around, getting a good look at his surroundings.

It was beautiful. The sky above had never been so blue, and the grass had never looked so alive. He could see in the distance what looked like a large lake next to a beach. Leading into the beach was a huge field, covered with flowers of all colors and sizes. Turning around, he continued to admire the area, until he came to face the glimmering metal tip of a sword.

Soon, other swords followed, and he found himself surrounded. His sharp hearing caught the sounds coming from the town a distance away. A bell was chiming, and people were making panicked sounds.

The people before him were all dressed in strange outfits; three woman and two men. Two of the girls, one tall and the other short seemed to completely contrast each other. One had dark brown hair in a set of pigtails that curled down and stopped just before her shoulders. She wore a yellow dress that came up to above her knee, and brown boots that stopped a few inches away.

The other, the taller of the two, seemed older, even if only by a year or two. She had short blonde hair that was pulled into a clip, and simple brown eyes. She wore a pinkish red dress that was much more modest than the other girl.

The two men were also rather different. One had blond hair that came up in sharp points, with a strange design painted onto the side of his face. He wore a tight black shirt with a red vest over it, and loose shorts that came down a bit too low.

The other wore a similar black shirt, but he wore tan pants, white gloves, and a long red trench coat. He had red hair that was pulled into a short ponytail.

The final member of the group was a woman who was obviously older than the others. Though Zelgadis couldn't sense a strong aura around her, he felt a chill run down his spine as he looked into her cold, golden eyes. She reminded him of Xellos. She even had the short purple hair. However, one glance at what she was wearing and one would question their sanity. She wore a short, pink skirt with a white apron around it: a waitress outfit.

The purple haired woman, who appeared to be the leader of the group, shouted some commands in a language Zelgadis couldn't understand. Turning her attention back to Zelgadis, she glared and sharply shouted at him, "Intruder! What business do you have here?"

Zelgadis had no idea how to respond to this. However, he knew this woman had little patience by the way she glared at him. Even though their swords wouldn't affect him, the magic spell placed on the leader's sword more than likely would. He could sense the power of the spell; a powerful sorcerer had done it.

Just where was Lina, anyway?

"Hold it!"

_Speak of the devil_… Zelgadis thought as Lina immediately took a place before him, in front of the leader (and her sword).

"I brought him!"

The leader's eyes narrowed. "And what business do you have here?"

Lina held her head stubbornly, glaring. "Lina Inverse, second sister of the Inverse Clan."

The leader raised an eyebrow, "Proof?"

Lina smirked "You of all people shouldn't need that, Luna."

Luna herself raised an eyebrow, before relaxing. "At ease. She's defiantly my sister."

As the group visibly relaxed, the girl in yellow turned to look at Luna. "If that's the case, then I request permission to pounce."

Luna chuckled, "Permission granted."

And so, the girl pounced. She did not jump, nor leap, nor tackle. She pounced, with as much grace as a cat. Zelgadis had never seen Lina's expression change so fast. It went from relieved, to panicked, to happy in five seconds flat. If it even took that long. As she and the girl wrestled around a bit, Luna moved to look over her sister. She smiled, but it soon faded into a frown.

"We'll talk later, Lina." Lina instantly paled at this remark. Luna ignored her look of terror. "I get off of shift tonight at 7."

With that, the older Inverse sister turned on her heel and began to walk away. However, she paused slightly, and looked over her shoulder.

"You'd better be there _this_ time, Lina."

And then she walked off. The rest of the group looked around in a bit of confusion. Most of said emotion was aimed at Zel. After Lina had finished with the girl in yellow, she stood up and brushed herself off. There was an awkward pause, before the entire group, with the great exception of Zelgadis, broke into chatter.

Zelgadis himself listened, and sure enough, in the background he heard the sound of a bell chiming, and the sounds of the town returned. His hunch had been right. The bell was form of warning system. When it was heard, everyone rushed home. He turned his attention to the people Lina was talking with.

_Except for these four_… he thought.

Soon enough, their chatter died down, and Lina turned towards Zelgadis. "Zel, these are my old friends." She motioned towards the group before her. Everyone greeted him, and they began to walk towards the town.

Zelgadis himself grew a bit nervous. He hadn't thought about the town. And, the fact that Lina had forced him to promise _not_ to wear him hood, at least this time, was not good. He turned his attention towards Lina again, who was not so patiently waiting for him to snap back to reality. Raising an eyebrow, she shrugged and turned back to her friends.

"The one in the yellow-" she motioned towards the girl that had pounced, "is Mira. The blond guy is her older brother, Valn. The other guy is Tak. And the final girl is Netal."

The group nodded, and they continued walking. Finally, they reached the area just outside of the town. The girl, Mira, turned and smiled at Lina.

"Welcome home."

* * *

_Author's notes: YAY! I finished it! I think this chapter is a little longer than the others… Anyway, Oh my god! I had FOUR reviewers! Yay!_ **Please review.**

**Irusta**- There you are! I thought you might've lost interest… it's good to see your review!

**Mysticalflame**- Yes, I am the evil cliffhanger lady! Ha ha. It's real good to see your review. Thanks.

**Samanda**- Like it so far? I hope so Sammy! It's wonderful to read your review.

**Lina Gabriev**- Zel became a prince when he married Amelia. I hinted at this in QFK. At least, I think so… Either way, about the Xellos thing. I mentioned that Xellos was dead in the first chapter of QFK. However, he will make an appearance in this story. How? I'll explain it in a later chapter.

_Anyway, as for the new story I mentioned: I'm planning on revising Skating Dreams. I know a lot of people loved that story, and when I discontinued it, many were disappointed. However, it's coming back! I'm just… not sure when…_

**Happy Valentines Day!**


	5. Chapter V

Chapter V

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_Author's notes: I am so sorry this took so long. I really am. I've just been having a very bad Slayers writing block. Hopefully, this'll mark another string of chapters. Hopefully. Well, I wont keep you waiting any longer.

* * *

_

After the group had split off (Not without forcing Lina to meet them for dinner), Lina led Zelgadis to her old home. It was rather large, to Zel's surprise, and had an elegant, almost classy look to it. It was a bit farther away from the rest of the town than normal, and even had a small spring next to it. Lina didn't even pause to look at it, instead walking straight to the door and pushing it open without any trouble. Zel followed after, she soon began to lead him through the maze that seemed to be her home.

The entire time he was following her, Zelgadis noted things about the house that were different. The hallways looked normal to the passing eye- white walls, blue carpet, simple wooden doors, ect.- but if he paused to really look, he noticed _things_ about it. Like trick doors that, as Lina informed him, led straight back to the entrance, hallways that were laced with a magical essence strong enough to make him a bit uneasy, and at one point he could have sworn he saw a figure floating around (Lina wouldn't comment on _that_ one).

Eventually she led him to a large room that held the staircase (Or one of many staircases, for all he knew). Instead of going up, however, Lina walked right passed it and into another room. This one was familiar to him.

It was a large kitchen. Tiled floors, white walls, wooden cabinets, and a counter in the middle. He smirked at Lina and her predictability. She wandered over and plopped down on a stool that Zel would have sworn wasn't there a moment ago.

"Are you hungry?" she questioned, resting her chin in her hand. He shook his head and glanced around the room. Lina blinked. "If you're tired, then you can rest now. Luna wont get off from work for a least a few hours."

Zel shrugged. "I'm fine. Are you alright?"

It was true, Lina knew, that through out the entire time she had been leading him around her uneasiness grew. She had originally intended on grabbing a snack, but as she entered the kitchen, her appetite fell away. Her muscles felt stiff and cramped in the old house, and the familiar scent of lilacs and musk, which filled the house, triggered memories she would have rather kept locked away. But she had no reason to worry him.

"I'm fine." She forced a smile, mimicking his response. "Just a little… tired." She could see by the flicker in his eyes that he caught her lie, but he said nothing, and instead reached across the table and grasped her hand gently in his own, taking a seat on a stool as well.

They sat like that for several hours, until Lina led them to a living room and sat down to rest.

* * *

"Lina! Front and center!"

Lina jumped out of her sleep with a jolt. Her sudden movement caused Zel to snap awake as well. The call was repeated, and Lina felt a groan rise up. She was so _comfortable_. What did Luna want, anyway? Zel gently ran a hand through her hair and smiled as she sat up, yawning. Luna had less patience than Lina did, but Lina wasn't in any hurry. She would take her time (for more reasons than she cared to count.).

It took them several minutes to make their way to where Luna was waiting, and it took them even longer because Lina had been dragging her feet the entire time. Finally, they reached a large door made of oak wood with designs and carvings in the framework. The intricate patterns were more than just decoration, however; Zelgadis could recognize a few as magic symbols, and suspected the ones he didn't recognize were of similar origin. The door, however, had no doorknob. If Lina hadn't led him there, he would have thought it just a piece of design that blended with the walls around them.

Lina paused outside the door, tugging on her shirt, running a hand through her hair, and straightening her back. Then, she reached out a gloved hand and placed it on the door. Zel gave a start when it began to glow softly, though he should have expected something like that. Lina's eyes fluttered closed, and she murmured a few words softly. The door swung open, and Lina took a deep breath before stepping inside.

Inside was a room that, by all law of physics and such, shouldn't have been able to fit in the space Zelgadis had viewed before entering the home. The ceiling itself was at least double the height of the house. From what he could see, it was some sort of library; it resembled the main library in Seilloon, but was much large in size. The woman from before, Luna, sat in a large armchair, one long, slender leg crossed over the other. Her gaze was indifferent, watching them as they entered.

Lina seemed to be visibly worried, probably expecting a Fireball or something to be thrown at her. Luna, however, stared at them intently. Zel took a moment to allow his eyes to wander.

It was indeed a library. The wall to the far left was nothing more than a large glass window, and the room was actually fairly welcoming. There were a few plants growing from pots, scattered here and there; most were by the window. The two shelves each stood along a wall and reached up to the ceiling in height. In the middle of the room, where Luna was sitting, there were a few plush, comfortable looking chairs and a rug on the floor. The window allowed bright sunlight into the room, and outside he could see the most beautiful sky he'd ever seen. The room was positively cheery.

Luna cleared her throat, and Lina approached, tugging Zel by the arm as she did so. She stopped a few feet away from the purple-haired waitress, and stood there, nervously tugging at her pant leg.

Luna eyed her sister before speaking, "You have a lot of nerve coming back here, Lina, after all this time. You're lucky I didn't throw you out the minute you got here." Lina opened her mouth to speak, but Luna held up a hand to silence her. "I don't want to hear an excuse. I want to know: What are you doing here? And with an outsider, no less."

Luna gave her a point look that clearly stated, 'Tell me what I want to know. _Now_.' Lina swallowed and, looking as though she were walking into her death, explained the story: the amulet, it's connection to Xellas, everything. Luna listened quietly, her gaze never once straying from Lina. After the younger woman was finished, she drummed her fingers along the arm of the chair.

After a moment, she spoke again. "I see. So you're here for research, and nothing more?"

Lina nodded. Luna sent a glance at Zel, before nodding as well. "Alright. You have the run of the library for as long as you need it," She stood and walked passed them, pausing to eye Zelgadis once more, before leaving the room. As soon as she was gone, Lina relaxed and fell in the chair her sister had left empty, slumping her shoulders.

"I thought she was going to kill me." she muttered, running a hand through her hair. Zel eyed her carefully, before turning his attention to the books.

"Where do we start?"

* * *

_Author's Notes: Yes! I'm updating all my current Slayers stories! Yay! I know most of my old reviewer have probably ditched this story by now, but I still feel obligated to respond._

**Sammy:** Sammy Onee-chan! I'm SO sorry I haven't updated in forever. Forgive me? Please:3

**Shadow Knight2:** Eh… I updated Project Zero! Umm… yeah, so you can go read that and be happy…? As for the 'definitely' issue: my spell checker screws up with that word. It _always_ screws it up. Sorry.

**Lina Gabriev:** Thanks for the review. I hope you're still reading.

**Ishy-chan:** Ah, yes, yes, everything I write is too short. I'll work on that, okay?

**Mysticalflame:** Thanks!


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